


The Queen of Queen

by lisa912



Series: Rose Taylor Collection [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Band as Family, Developing Relationship, F/M, Family, Friendship, Girl Roger Taylor, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Period Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Racism, Period-Typical Sexism, Rogerina - Freeform, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Strong Female Characters, Strong Language, Tags will be frequently edited, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-03 02:52:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17275736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisa912/pseuds/lisa912
Summary: If Brian was outside the room, he would have just naturally assumed it was some muscular metal drummer going crazy on the set. He could have never imagined such power could come out of a girl like her. She was skinny. She was not bony, but she definitely had no fat on her body. It made her look tiny despite her not-so-small height.It was truly amazing. Not just the energy that her small body was bursting out, but also the musicality in her drums. It was not like she was pouring everything at once just to be loud. She knew when and where to be hard and the right spot to be soft. She was singing through the drums.“Uh, what’s your name?” Brian blurted out. The girl stopped in her tracks and turned halfway to look at the guitarist.“Rose Taylor,” She took a moment before finally giving an answer.(Collection of Girl Roger Taylor - a.k.a. Rose Meddows Taylor - one-shots in serial order. All stories are loosely connected within the same timeline.)





	1. Brighton Rock

**Author's Note:**

> I fell hard for Rogerina in I Want to Break Free video and couldn't get this out of my head, so it happened. I mean, she (or should I say 'he') is just gorgeous. This is all on Roger Taylor for being such a pretty man.
> 
> I know there are several Rogerina fics out there, in which she is the only girl member of the band. So I guess this is nothing new I'm doing right here.
> 
> In this, there is only Rose Taylor and no Roger Taylor. 
> 
> The events in this collection are set in the real era Queen was active in and through to the present days too, and are based both on the real ones and the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, so they may not be exactly accurate. Then again, this is an AU fic from the very basis, so this will probably be very different from how everything went. Well, this is merely fanfiction from the start, isn't it?
> 
> I'm sorry for any and all mistakes I make about the 70s and 80s. Those are the eras that I don't really know about and I'm doing my best at the research.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from _Sheer Heart Attack_ (1974)
> 
>  
> 
>   “Uh, what’s your name?” Brian blurted out. The girl stopped in her tracks and turned halfway to look at the guitarist.
> 
> “Rose Taylor,” she took a moment before finally giving an answer.
> 
> “Rose,” Brian began. He seemed as if he was hypnotized. “When can you start practicing?”

 

**1968**

 

 Dentistry was getting boring. Whoever thought it was a good idea to study the field was an absolute nutter. Maybe she should be considering changing her major.

 Then again, it didn’t really matter anyway. Studying dentistry or whatever it might have been was not the reason she was in London in the first place. Getting into college was merely a means. Just an excuse to be present in the city. She was in no way going to pursue the path of a dentist.

 Rose walked down the hall of the building. The assignment she had just gotten from the previous class was going to cost her all night. It was frustrating enough that she hasn't been able to really play drums in a while, and now the stupid coursework was bothering her to no end. And the fact that she was not able to find a decent band to join was not helping at all.

 She had been looking for an opportunity to continue her passion to become a musician ever since she set her foot in the city of London. She did not even spend much time socializing and making friends with people; she did have a few people that she occasionally hung out with, but she felt close enough to none of them. Most of all, they did not seem to understand her strong desire and passion for drumming. It was fair, though, considering that she could not understand their willingness to study about teeth.

 Rose was walking down the stairs when a voice of a stranger flew into her ears.

 “And they seemed to be looking for a drummer.” It was just a random male student talking to other two students that seemed to be his friends. Rose automatically slowed down her pace as her ears concentrated on their conversation.

 “There’re flyers on the bulletin boards somewhere,” the same voice continued.

 “Oh, that must be the band thing that guy talked about,” another one replied. “I heard it from Staffell. He said he was trying to form a band with his mate.”

 Huh. A band.

 Rose made a mental note to herself to look into bulletin boards before she picked up her pace. The nearest one was not so far from her current location.

 “Oh, hey, Rose!”

 Rose looked forward to the direction from which her name was called. It was her roommate Penny.

 “Penny,” Rose greeted her as she stopped in front of her.

 “I was wondering if I could borrow the book you were looking at the other day? The one on anatomy and stuff? I need it for my next project in one of my classes,” Penny said.

 “Sure. It should be on my desk back at the flat,” Rose answered.

 “Thanks!” Penny said with a smile. “I got this very interesting idea using human body structure for my next piece.”

 Rose shrugged in understanding, although she was not sure what her friend was thinking of drawing out of images of human cells and muscles. But then, Penny was the art student, so it wasn’t really her problem to think about.

 “Oh, and I had something to tell you,” Penny said. “I heard from some guys that there were a couple of boys forming a new band. They’re looking for a drummer.”

 Rose wondered if she was the only one that was yet to hear the news.

 “Yeah, I think I heard it. I was on my way to check it out,” Rose said.

 “Oh, okay. I’ll see you later then.”

 Giving her roommate a brief wave of her hand, Rose once again began to head to the bulletin board. It didn’t take her that long to find one.

 Rose scanned through the numerous flyers and notices up there. Some papers on the regulations, class cancellations, auditions and application notices for student clubs, old band recruit notices - which Rose tried out but was kicked out without even a chance to play the instrument just for being a woman - and other bullshits were all piled upon one another, but there was no new band flyer. Frowning, she once again tried scanning from the very top corners. She checked each and every piece of paper there, paying double attention in case she missed anything. When she was halfway through, a voice came from behind her.

 “Um, excuse me.”

 Rose turned around to see a tall skinny boy holding several copies of a flyer. He had a semi-curly hair that covered his whole head, reaching the neckline. He smiled apologetically, indicating to the papers in his hands.

 “Oh, sorry,” she answered, taking a step back.

 The boy stepped forward and pinned a copy on the board before walking away.

 Rose didn’t pay much attention to him as she returned to her search for that band audition notice. And she finally found it the moment she looked at the board once again, for it was now on top of all the other flyers, freshly pinned just seconds before.

 ‘Looking for a drummer. We are looking for a drummer for a newly formed band Smile. We would like to have a Ginger Baker or Mitch Mitchell type of player.  For more information, please look for Brian May and Tim Staffell.’

 Rose reflectively turned her gaze toward the direction the boy had just gone off to. He had already disappeared off to somewhere, probably to spread the notice.

 Rose looked at the notice once again, taking in the information for the audition.

 

* * *

 

 The drummer was not bad; in fact, he was good in terms of skills and style. Yet, his drumming was full of ego, not to mention the personality wasn't suitable for the band as a group. Brian glimpsed at Tim to try and see what he was thinking of the applicant. Judging by the unsure and doubtful look on his face, Brian concluded that his bandmate was thinking the same thing as him.

 The drummer looked at Brian with a look that clearly demanded an answer.

 “Well,” Brian began rather heavily, “thank you, uhm… Danny, right?”

 The drummer, Danny, nodded.

 “You're good. You've got a style and skills,” Brian continued in a rather careful tone. “But I don't think you’d fit in with the kind of music we're doing. I'm sorry.”

 Brian was expecting Danny to outright blow up and throw a tantrum and was genuinely surprised when the said man immediately accepted the fact with a casual “okay” and a shrug of his shoulders. There were no other words said between them -- not that there were any that needed saying -- as Danny stood up from his seat at the drum kit and went out the door.

 Brian sighed into both his hands, which covered his face. This was the 7th drummer that they had to let go. How could it be this hard to find one drummer that would go along with them? He kept his head buried in his palms as he heard a sigh from Tim.

 Then there was the sound of knocks. Brian looked up and looked at Tim, who was also looking at him as he said, “Come in!”

 The door creaked open and a girl with a fairly long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail with a red ribbon walked in.

 “Hi,” the girl offered with a smile that looked more like a smirk.

 “Uhm,” Brian said as he and Tim looked at each other in question. “Hello.”

 “Is there anything you need?” Tim asked looking at the girl.

 “Well, I guess,” she answered. “If this is the audition for the drummer for the band Smile.”

 “Yeah,” Brian said slowly, still unsure of what to think of the situation. “That's us.”

 “Okay, then,” the girl said before she walked over to the drum set and picked up the sticks.

 “Uh…” Tim shared a baffled look with Brian.

 “Are you… are you here to audition?” Brian stuttered at the girl.

 The girl looked at the two boys. Her expression clearly looked as if they were asking a stupid question.

 “Obviously.”

 Brian blinked at his mate. The girl looked at the two before she rolled her eyes.

 “What, you said you wanted a drummer. You didn't exactly put up that only boys could apply.”

 That was… true. Brian remembered that he hasn't really mentioned that he wanted a drummer of a certain gender. He honestly thought that he wouldn't need to since he automatically presumed that only boys would be interested in a drummer's position in a band with male members.

 The girl seemed to be growing impatient and irritated at the lack of responses.

 “If you are not interested, then just say it,” she snapped.

 “Well….” Tim looked at Brian with eyes that silently asked: “What should we do?”

 Brian wasn't sure, either. He was not really certain if he wanted a female member in the group. He did not intend to be a total misogynist, but he did have a stereotypical thought that doubted the girl's abilities. She may be able to hit the drums and make beats, sure, but was she capable of creating the energy and presence that they needed?

 Before he could say anything, however, the girl let out an exasperated sigh and sat down. As soon as she did so, she wasted no time hitting on the snares and the cymbals.

 If Brian was outside the room, he would have just naturally assumed it was some muscular metal drummer going crazy on the set. He could have never imagined such power could come out of a girl like her. She was skinny. She was not bony, but she definitely had no fat on her body. It had made her look tiny despite her not-so-small height.

 And now both Brian and Tim were completely tranced by the ferocious drumming. Her arms moved so fast and her head just bopped to the beat, swishing the hair behind it. Brian's mouth slowly fell apart.

 It was truly amazing. Not just the energy that her small body was bursting out, but also the musicality in her drums. It was not like she was pouring everything at once just to be loud. She knew when and where to be hard and the right spot to be soft. She was singing through the drums.

 With the final strike, the girl’s head banged in sync with her arms. Her head tilted downward, she let out a long deep breath before wiping the sweat off her forehead. She looked up to meet two pairs of eyes staring at her. She smirked at the open mouths and wide eyes.

 “That’s very attractive now, isn't it?” She shot sarcastically as she lightly threw the sticks on the drum. She then got up casually. Even then, Brian and Tim were unable to say anything.

 “A second longer, and you would start to drool,” the blond teased. She then turned towards the door, adding in a very cynical voice that she sounded almost like she was snarling. “Anyway, good luck finding your new drummer.”

 “Uh, what’s your name?” Brian blurted out. The girl stopped in her tracks and turned halfway to look at the guitarist.

 “Rose Taylor,” she took a moment before finally giving an answer.

 “Rose,” Brian began. He seemed as if he was hypnotized. “When can you start practicing?”


	2. Now I'm Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from _Sheer Heart Attack_ (1974)
> 
>  
> 
> Freddie’s eyes followed Tim’s words, scanning the stage from the bassist to Brian and Rose Taylor. Brian looked like a quiet and thoughtful one while there was something strong about Taylor. Her face -- not her specific expression but her physical features themselves -- held the fierceness of a rock star. And she definitely looked like a cold cynic with a strong personality.
> 
> Freddie's mouth curled up into a smirk as he took another sip from his glass.
> 
> This was getting better and better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and nice comments! It really motivates me to write on. :)
> 
> I'm sorry in advance for any and all mistakes I make regarding language, grammar, the settings, characters, etc. I can assure you that I do not intend to make any of them, but they happen from time to time. I lack a lot of knowledge about the era and also the behind stories of Queen, so I'm just relying on my own imagination based on the stuff I gathered on the internet and the movie. If you would like to point out some things, feel free to do so! ;D
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

**1968**

 

 College pub on a Friday night meant mayhem -- no class on the following day, partying all night, and thus reckless drinking. It also meant an opportunity for young student musicians, for it was a chance to try out their songs on a decent number of audience. And apparently, there was a new band in town.

 Outside the entrance, a small board was set up. 

 “Playing tonight - 20:00 : Smile”

 Freddie gave a quick look at it as he entered. Smile. So that was what Tim had come up with.  It was an easy name, one that was simple enough to remember. Still, it seemed rather… bland. Freddie wondered why or how someone would think of such name for a band. But then, it was the music that really mattered after all, especially when it came to student bands.

 Freddie had met Tim Staffell at a small party a while before. The two had shared a similar taste for music and a passion for performing their own songs. Being a member of a small himself, Freddie could connect with Tim quite well. He was yet to properly listen to their music at the moment since it had only been very recent that Tim managed to recruit all the necessary members. The last time they talked, Tim had told him that they finally found a decent drummer that he called Taylor.

 Walking down the narrow stairway to the basement, Freddie stepped into the small bar. There were a set of drums and amps with three microphones set up on stage, but without their users. A number of people could see there were already a few people that were feeling the effects of alcohol even before the music.

 Freddie looked down at his watch. 7:58. Not so long to go before the gig started. He walked up to the bar and ordered a pint of cheap lager beer. He did not really have the desire nor the money for anything more there. He took a sip of the freshly served drink before walking over to a corner farthest from the stage. Just as he got settled, leaning in the wall, Freddie spotted the small door by the stage open and Tim coming in.

 The lights dimmed a little as the spotlights focused on the stage. From the left side of it appeared a  young man with a red guitar. Brian, Freddie reminded himself. He had met him once or twice since he was the one that Tim initiated the thought of forming a band with. He was followed by Tim with his bass. And behind him was a blond… girl. A very pretty girl, too. She had wristbands on both her wrists, holding a pair of what can only be drumsticks in one hand. Freddie quirked his eyebrows, eyeing the girl. While the other two members got to their spots -- the guitarist to the far right and the bassist on the left side of the stage -- the girl casually strolled toward the drum kit.

 Taylor was a girl?

 A girl on the drums?

 Other people have noticed it too, for there were murmurs and whispers going around, especially in the back of the crowd where they seemed to think they were far enough not to be heard.

 “Is she the drummer?”

 “Wait, a girl on the drums?”

 “I thought they were a rock band. Is this a joke?”

 But then, every small thing, when collected together, holds power. What were only supposed to be silent talks under breaths gained volumes to fill the whole bar immediately. Now it was not so subtle that the audience were casting doubts and speculations about her, and the band members themselves were certainly aware of it. The two boys were clearly growing uncomfortable. They shared a glimpse at each other before the guitarist gave a short side glance at the girl who was sitting at the drums behind him. Yet, the girl herself seemed very calm and unaffected. There was no mistake that she had picked up the judgemental and disturbing atmosphere of the audience. Still, she was not letting it get to her, or at least not showing it openly.

 So she was confident. And it definitely intrigued Freddie more and more.

 “Uhm,” Tim began, talking into the microphone in front of him. “Evening, ladies and gents. Thank you all for being here tonight. We are Smile.”

 Fortunately, the crowd had the least bit of decency to stop their murmurings when the bassist opened up the introduction. Once he had the people’s attention, he continued. 

 “I’m Tim Staffell on the bass and also the vocal,” he said, before stretching one of his arms toward the other members. “Brian May’s our guitarist, and that is Rose Taylor on the drums.”

 Freddie’s eyes followed Tim’s words, scanning the stage from the bassist to Brian and Rose Taylor. Brian looked like a quiet and thoughtful one while there was something strong about Taylor. Her face -- not her specific expression but her physical features themselves -- held the fierceness of a rock star. And she definitely looked like a cold cynic with a strong personality.

 Freddie's mouth curled up into a smirk as he took another sip from his glass.

 This was getting better and better.

 “Does she put a ‘smile’ on your faces at night?” A random man’s voice called out in a highly mocking manner. Some other guys whistled and made patronizing noises. It was most likely that those were that idiot's own company. Freddie shook his head slightly in disgust. Why some people think making rude comments can pass as a joke, he never understood. Those jerks, on the other hand, clearly did since it seemed that the moron got more confidence with his friends’ support.

 “Is that why you have a chic as your fucking drummer?”

 That gained even more laughter from the same group, as well as some new people joining in the insulting sniggers from here and there among the audience. Freddie sighed irritatedly. There are always morons that just could not differentiate stupidity and bravery. 

 Tim seemed a bit taken aback and Brian frowned, clearly unimpressed. But it wasn't them that Freddie wanted to react -- he watched the girl that was on the direct receiving end of the mockery. Her face was expressionless, which was exactly the same as when she first walked up on the stage. But her eyes were sharper than any other person's that Freddie had ever seen.

 Taylor looked directly at the man who had made the comment with those eyes. The laughter died a little, probably due to her piercing burning gaze. Then she smiled -- or smirked, to be more accurate -- which highlighted her beauty. She indeed was very pretty. Yet, her eyes were still very sharp. The smile lasted for less than two seconds before the expression instantly transformed into the very opposite one. She then banged on the drums with such might that felt like an explosion. The jerks who were trying to ‘joke’ with the female drummer was shut up instantly. 

 An improvised drum solo moment followed. Short but rather flashy one, too. It was very impressive since although she was moving her body a lot to give her energy into it, she made it look so simple and easy at the same time. Freddie was so mesmerized that he did not even realize that he had straightened his posture unconsciously.

 He could see why Tim called her Taylor instead of Rose. There were female drummers, of course -- not that many, but there were. Yet, Taylor’s drumming was not something one would expect from a girl of her size or any typical girl in that matter. She had power and clearly her own color that was also prominently shown through her outward appearance and style -- a very strong temper and mighty confidence of a rocker. Something that one would expect from a guy called ‘Taylor’ than from a girl named ‘Rose’.

 It was funny, however, that Freddie could not find a better name for the drummer. After all, a rose is a flower of beauty but with sharp thorns -- a perfect summary of the girl that was on stage right now.

 When she hit the final strike on the cymbals, there was complete silence. Taylor -- no, Rose -- casually twirled a drumstick as she looked at her bandmates, who also seemed quite surprised.

 “So? You ready?” Rose said as if nothing had happened. Freddie was starting to like the girl more and more.

 Tim raised his eyebrows before turning back to his microphone. Brian smirked a little and shook his head a couple of times as he also turned to face the audience.

 “Uh… right,” Tim said into the microphone. “This is our first song, Step On Me.”

 

* * *

 

 It would be a lie if Freddie were to say that he didn’t enjoy the songs. In truth, he could even say that he had become a fan of the band. Tim had a nice vocal, Rose was a terrific drummer, and Brian had some serious guitar skills. Yet, what really captivated Freddie was their harmonies. Both Brian and Rose provided back vocals and layers of tight harmonies to enrich each song. It was inspiring. And obviously, he wasn’t the only person to have enjoyed the show on that night, for the audience clearly enjoyed themselves with the good music provided to them and there were compliments about the performers going around.

 Freddie made his way through the crowd to the back of the building, where he saw the band leave toward. Stepping outside, he found the three of them sitting around with a bottle of beer in their hands.

 “Freddie!” Tim called out to him, as he was the first to notice him. Brian and Rose both turned their head to look at the said man.

 “Great show,” Freddie offered as he approached them. “Enjoyed the songs. A lot.”

 “Thanks,” Tim answered. He then gestured toward the others. “You know Brian already. And this is Taylor.”

 Brian gave a short wave of his hand in acknowledgment while Rose looked straight at Freddie. Her eyes were fixed on him as she took a drink out of her beer bottle. She then said in a casual tone.

 “Rose Taylor. You can call me Rose, Taylor, whatever you’d like to.”

 “Freddie,” said Freddie in response. “What an impression you made back there, dear.”

 Rose gave a confident smirk. “Did I, now?”

 “Oh, absolutely. With that little surprise in the beginning,” said Freddie. “I loved how you just shot those idiots down.”

 Rose snorted. “Yeah, well, it’s not the first time I’ve met jackasses like them, and that’s the best way to shut them up.”

 “And that’s what she did when we first met her, too,” Brian added. Rose shrugged at him.

 “That’s what happens when you don’t even try to give a girl a chance just because she’s a woman,” she said. “But you two are not part of those jackasses. Not really.”

 “Ooh, so you’re approving us now?” Tim chimed with a dramatic tone.

 “I suppose we should be flattered,” Brian joined in the teasing.

 “Piss off,” Rose responded with a smirk, gaining a chuckle from the boys. She then turned her attention back to Freddie. “And you also seem like a nice guy.”

 “Wow, I am honored,” Freddie answered in an exaggerated manner. “And I am fond of you, too.”

 “Please don’t tell me you’re flirting with me,” Rose said with a snigger in her voice.

 “Oh, I always am,” Freddie said jokingly. “But I meant more of an admiration. Consider me a fan of Smile.”

 “First performance, and we already have a fan,” said Brian, “it’s a good start.”

 “Yeah, well,” Tim said with a laugh. “You are a good singer yourself to be a fan of ours.”

 “You sing?” asked Rose. “Do you perform?”

 Freddie just shrugged. “Well, I am actually in a band.”

From then on, they talked and talked. They talked about many things -- songs, instruments, bands, alcohol, girls, boys... That night, they were nothing more than four college students, sharing their passions for music and dreaming about making their marks in the music industry.

 That night, they did not have any clue about the kind of history they would be making.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the start of something great, isn't it? The historical moment of the members encountering one another. 
> 
> I'm sorry for the abrupt ending. I couldn't really wrap it up but had to, so it's a bit awkward. I apologize for that.
> 
> By the way, I still haven't decided on the pairings, and it's getting harder for me. As much as I love Maylor, I'm also into Dealor, too. So I was actually leaning more toward John/Rose, but then I got some suggestions for Maylor, which only makes it harder for me to decide. There are just soooo much chemistry among the members... So if you'd like to convince me into either of them, do so in the comments or through Tumblr ([lisasinarae.tumblr.com](http://lisasinarae.tumblr.com))
> 
> Anyways, hope you have a good day, and happy new year (I know it's a bit late, but I forgot to say this in the last one lol)! And keep loving Queen <3
> 
> Lisa :)


	3. Liar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from _Queen_ (1973)
> 
>  
> 
> “Just saying,” Freddie shrugged his shoulder as he placed both his hands on his hip. “You seem very protective of her. So I was just wondering if you were, you know...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for kudos, bookmarks, and most importantly, such nice comments!
> 
> Also, a little announcement: I have finally decided which relationship I will be going for in this, which is... MAYLOR! In fact, I decided to do both and write two separate stories for both Maylor and Dealor. If you're interested, you're always welcome to read that one, too. :)
> 
> Another thing is that there is a companion piece for this in _The March of the Red Queen_ under _[Doing Alright](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17361074/chapters/40979063)_. It is NOT a required reading for this story, but some complementary part that delves into the background of what Rose is going through in this story.
> 
> Anyway, enough of the distraction -- I hope you enjoy this one!

 

**1969**

 

 “Okay, so for this part, what about-- “ Tim said, tapping the small space with one of his fingers on the edge of the coffee table to offer the beat. “And I go--”

 He then played a little tune on his bass guitar that he had in his lap. As he stopped tapping, Rose automatically resumed the same beat with her finger snaps. Brian silently listened for a moment before he also played a tune on his guitar he had been holding.

 “But I thought it was supposed to be the part where we slow down?” Rose asked.

 “Yeah, but maybe for the next show, we can sort of subvert it and go with a faster beat,” Tim answered, momentarily stopping to answer and resuming to play. “Change the mood a bit?”

 “Then I can come up with a new riff for that part,” said Brian. He improvised some tune that resembled the original one but was a little more upbeat on the spot.

 “Do you want me to change the drums too?” Rose said as she went through the possibilities of different combinations of drums and cymbals in her head.

 It was a part of daily life Rose now had. Crashing at the flat shared by Brian, Tim, and Freddie. Sitting on the sofa in their messy living room to discuss music and plan their next gig. Since the moderate and humble success of their first performance, Smile had been slowly but surely gaining attention. It wasn’t a huge hit yet, but they were certainly growing. They kept doing shows in different pubs and even managed to hold a couple of college gigs. Even with it having been a little less than a year from their formation, it was a rather hopeful sign. And they put as much time and effort they could in their preparations. Every performance required tons of hard work. Yet, no matter how tiresome the whole process might be, Rose was enjoying each minute and every second of it.

 This was what she was living for.

 “Uhm, let’s see what Brian comes up with first, and try to match it,” Tim responded. Rose shrugged her shoulder in acknowledgment, nodding her head.

 “Rose, darling?”

 Rose turned her head toward the source of the voice, and she was the only one who did so. Freddie was poking his head out from the kitchen. Even with his call, both Brian and Tim completely ignored and continued to play their instruments and discuss ideas. She watched him as he walked out of the area to reveal his whole body, holding a small pan in one hand. Rose just looked at him in question.

 “Do you know how to boil eggs?” He asked.

 Rose blinked a couple of times before raising her eyebrows at him.

 “Well, I don’t know,” she began, sarcasm fully occupying her tone. “Must have something to do with hot water, don’t you think? When you try to ‘boil’ something?”

 Freddie huffed indignantly, putting his free hand on his hip.

 “Well, I have never spent any minute in my life even near the kitchen area. Sorry for not knowing what I have absolutely no experience with,” he said with a mockingly hurtful voice.

 “And what makes you think I did?” Rose countered defiantly.

 “You just know stuff that I don’t,” Freddie said. “Now come over here and help me with this damned thing, you twit.”

 Rose sighed dramatically as she got up from the couch.

 “Good luck with it,” Brian said without looking at her. Everybody in the house knew that Freddie had the most useless ability to ruin everything he cooks to the point of “burning an empty frying pan” -- a comment once Rose threw at him.

 “And here I wonder, how you still haven’t starved to death yet,” remarked Rose as she walked toward Freddie. “Seriously, how does Mary put up with you?”

 And he shot back, “Quite well, actually.”

 “Probably because you don’t dare do such stupid things around her,” Rose answered casually. “Instead, you choose to bother me.”

 “Oh, you know me so well,” said Freddie. Rose snorted at the hint of proud note in his voice. “And you know that’s why I like you.”

 “Fuck you,” Rose said in her usual casual tone as took the pan from his hand and went into the kitchen.

 The strong language and banter was a natural thing that had become their usual routine. There were teasing and mocking going around among all four of them, but the harshest and the most intense ones were always between Freddie and Rose. Even at the harsh words that might end up really hurting someone, it seemed to inflict no damage on either of them -- probably due to the two of them being used to receiving real mockery. That seemed to allow the two of them to click together and pick up that specific habit very soon.

 The fact that Freddie had been spending quite a lot of time with Smile also contributed to it. Ever since their first meeting, both intentionally and unintentionally, Freddie had been circulating around the members of Smile. He and Tim were in the same class, to begin with. Then, of course, there was Freddie attending their gigs and vice versa. Moreover, the three boys decided to be flatmates. But it was also because of some weird coincidences like Rose ending up setting up stalls in Kensington Market -- and really, neither of them knew beforehand.

 The frequent encounter first had Mary, Freddie’s girlfriend, uneasy and a bit defensive toward Rose, especially when they met each other at the market. She seemingly thought that the two might be going beyond the level of mere friendship -- which Rose laughed very hard at afterward. That misunderstanding was resolved with time, as Rose got herself into a relationship with another person and as Mary herself found Rose quite likable. The two were becoming quite good friends themselves, especially through teaming up against Freddie, to his dismay.

 “You see, boiling involves heating and water,” said Rose, putting the pan on the stove. Her voice was overly sweet, as she exaggeratingly spoke in a way one would talk to a child. “Boiling eggs mean, you put the eggs in the water, and you boil them.”

 Fred looked unamused.

 “Don’t patronize me,” he said.

 Rose gasped dramatically. “What are you talking about? How could I? I would never!”

 Freddie gave her a look, to which Rose grinned cheekily.

 “Well, it’ll take a few minutes, so stay here and watch it,” Rose said and turned to walk toward the living room, but stopped momentarily. “No, I should probably just tell them to do it.”

 Before Freddie could respond, she was already out of the kitchen.

 “Call me if you got your riffs sorted out,” Rose said as she approached her bandmates in the living room. They turned their heads to look at the drummer while she then picked up her bag that she had thrown next to the loveseat she was sitting on. “And don’t forget to make sure that Freddie doesn’t burn the house down just to boil some stupid eggs.”

 “Are you leaving now?” Tim asked. Meanwhile, Brian went back to his riff modification.

 “Yeah,” answered Rose, checking the inside of her bags not to leave anything behind. “I have to meet someone.”

 “That infamous boyfriend of yours?” Freddie added as he smirked and crossed his arms. Brian shot a brief glance at Rose.

 “Shut up,” Rose said reflectively without looking up.

 “So it’s true then?” Freddie sniggered.

 “No,” Rose said, turning her eyes to him with a mocking smile. “Unfortunately, you are so wrong. As always”

 Freddie simply shrugged. “Well, not like I care anyway.”

 “Good thing, too,” remarked Rose as she walked toward the front door. “Well, I’m off now. See you later.”

 With it, Rose was outside the house the next second before the boys could ask any more questions.

 Freddie watched the door close before looking at the remaining members of Smile.

 “It's so that boy, isn't  it?” He asked cheekily.

 Tim just shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.”

 Brian, having returned his attention to his instrument, said without looking at either of them.

 “Probably not. She doesn't really try to hide it if it was him.”

 Freddie looked at the guitarist. Brian always seemed not so impressed whenever Rose’s relationship with her boyfriend was brought up to the table. And it was always so interesting for Freddie. Maybe there was something going on in Brian about Rose.

 “So what was his name again?” Asked Freddie. Rose rarely mentioned her boyfriend in front of them, so it was only once that he had heard of his name during the month that she had been seeing the guy, and even that was through Tim and not Rose herself.

 “Joe? Joel?” Brian answered. “Maybe John? Somewhere around those. John D… Dickson?”

 “Josh Rickson,” Tim corrected him.

 “Right,” said Brian. And it even sounded to Freddie like he was pouting.

 “Why do you hate him so much?” Freddie asked the guitarist, highly amused.

 “I don’t,” Brian answered.

 “You sure do look like you do,” Freddie remarked. “You always disapprove Rose going out with him.”

 “Well, I don’t hate him,” said Brian. “He’s just a stupid wuss, that’s all. It’s so clear that he has nothing on his mind other than trying to get her into bed and use her.”

 “Right, and like Rose is going to let him do so,” Freddie commented in a dry tone.

 “It’s not the matter of her ‘letting it’,” said Brian, turning his head to look at Freddie for the first time. It sounded like he was slightly having an outburst. “She’s a girl. No matter how strong and independent she might be, she can always be a victim when it comes to guys.”

 Freddie closed his mouth and looked at the guitarist for a moment. It took a few seconds for him to make up to decide and outright ask him.

 “Is it the boy that you don’t like, or the fact that she is seeing someone that makes you this mad?”

 Brian frowned in confusion. Tim also looked at Freddie, and judging by his face, Freddie could tell that the bassist had the least bit of sense about what Freddie was on about.

 “What are you saying?” He said.

 “Just saying,” Freddie shrugged his shoulder as he placed both his hands on his hip. “You seem very protective of her. So I was just wondering if you were, you know...”

 Tim’s eyes met with those of Freddie’s. If Freddie was reading correctly, his friend was also wanting an answer to it.

 “You are quite concerned about her a lot,” Tim added.

 Brian snorted.

 “We’re in a band together. She’s a mate. Of course I’m worried about her,” he said. “And she’s a girl--”

 “A sexy girl,” Freddie chimed in. Brian just gave him an unimpressed look.

 “And a girl can never be too careful,” he continued. “Especially when it comes to men.”

 “What are you, a priest?” Tim said with a snort.

 “Shut up,” Brian said. “So yes, I am very concerned about her. She seems to be struggling with a lot as it is -- coursework, this, she doesn’t seem to be on good terms with her parents… And now a boy trouble? She doesn’t need that.”

 Brian’s tone was not like he was lying or covering something up. If anything, he sounded quite genuine. Thus, as much as it was not a satisfying answer for Freddie, he decided that it probably wasn’t the right time to push on the matter. Brian, however, must have had picked up something from his face, for he added with a definitive tone.

 “And no, I don’t have any other feelings for her, if that’s what you’re asking.”

 Well. That was it, then. Freddie shared a glance with Tim once again and saw that he was not very convinced either. Yet, with Brian looking so sure about his answer, there was no way Freddie could continue his inquiries. So he just decided to drop the matter.

 For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this a friendship? Is this just jealousy? (Lol sorry, I had to do it.)
> 
> I have got to say that this one is definitely not my favorite because I'm not quite satisfied with how it came out. I'm not so sure about Brian's character in this, as well as the timing to bring up his thoughts on Rose. And the ending is so abrupt (again). Still, this was actually the best one I got after writing and rewriting it over and over again.
> 
> I always enjoy reading your comments and thoughts, so please don't hesitate to leave yours!
> 
> Also, I tried drawing Rose, which you can find [here](http://lisasinarae.tumblr.com/post/181903072339/rose-meddows-taylor-girl-roger-taylor-doodles). They're just very rough doodles and fail to capture Rose's true beauty, but if you want to go laugh at my drawing, you can sure do that! (lol)
> 
> Always, thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Lisa :)


	4. One Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from _A Kind of Magic_ (1986)
> 
>  
> 
> “Do you think we should go on?” asked Brian in a blank tone.
> 
> Rose frowned at him. “What the fuck are you saying?”
> 
> “I mean, do you want to keep going?” Brian said, looking directly at Rose this time. “Do you… do you think we can actually get somewhere with this?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took so much longer than it should have, and I'm really sorry about that. I had some complications in my personal life that I had to take immediate care of. Also, I suffered from very unnecessary writer's blocks here and there.
> 
> Anyways, here's another short snippet of Rose's journey :) Hope you guys enjoy!

 

**1970**

 

 Rose was not impressed.

 “Humpy Bong?” She repeated what Tim had just told them. “Are you fucking serious?”

 Tim just shrugged, although it was clear that he himself was not that happy with the name.

 It was during their regular practice session when Tim decided to drop the news. That he was leaving the band.

 And Rose was not impressed at all. But it wasn’t because of the fact that Tim was leaving.

 Rose could not believe that Tim was really considering joining a band that called themselves ‘Humpy Bong’. She was fine with the fact that Tim was leaving itself. Okay, maybe not totally ‘fine’, but she could (probably) accept it. If he wanted to do something different -- if that was what he wanted -- then who was she to stop him? Besides, she had already known that Tim was planning on leaving for quite a while now.

 But what she could not accept is that ridiculous name of the band. She couldn't really say that ‘Smile’ a perfect name either, but that one was just… she didn't even want to speak of it with her own mouth.

 “Well,” Tim began, clearly seeming to try and defend his decision. “It’s a promising band. And different.”

 “Oh yeah, no doubt it will be very different, with that sort of name,” Brian said sarcastically.

 “Look, I know you guys are probably mad at me for this, but… I just think this is the best,” Tim said with an apologetic tone. “For all of us.”

 When he got no reply from both of his bandmates, he continued in an obviously nervous manner.

 “I mean, I only have a year left before graduating, Brian’s already done with his degree. Even if we do continue this… I honestly don’t know how it will go. And I really want to continue doing music.”

 “And what, you think I’ve been just fooling around?” Rose added rather sharply than she had intended.

 “That is not what I mean and you know it,” answered Tim, sighing in frustration. “What I’m saying is that the three of us… it’s just not working out that well. We should be looking out for different opportunities, other things to try out.”

 “It’s not that we’re not happy for you,” Brian said. “We won’t stop you or anything.”

 “But really, don’t expect me to take that name seriously,” Rose added dryly.

 Tim bit his lips briefly and scratched the back of his head.

 “I actually talked to Freddie and asked if he could take my place,” he said.

 Brian scowled.

 “But he has his own band,” he said. Tim shrugged his shoulders.

 “For now, yeah,” Tim said. “But you know how they’ve been. They’re not exactly on firm ground, either.”

 Rose couldn’t deny it. Freddie had been struggling with his musical hobbies. Despite the man’s strong passion and desire for a career in performance and music, his bands (yes, as in multiple bands that he had been in) had gone through multiple changes in their members, broke up a couple of times, regrouped, and experienced pretty much everything that could happen to a band except anything good. Rose and Brian had seen them going through struggles in terms of keeping the balance among different instruments, heard Freddie complaining about how his bandmates always tried to outshine their own parts than make music together, and, most importantly, how they didn’t take the band business seriously. A lot of them simply thought of it as a hobby or just a time of fun of youth. Some did have a passion for a musical career until they were met with opposition from their families or ‘realization of the reality’. And frankly, the bandmates he was with at the moment didn’t look much different, either.

 “So? What did he say?” Brian asked.

 “He said…” Tim answered hesitantly. “He’d consider it.”

 Rose just threw her hands mid-air.

 “Great,” she muttered while Brian sighed. Tim pursed his lips.

 None of the three spoke for a brief moment. None of them knew what to say.

 “Alright,” Brian finally offered, obviously trying to boost the others a little although quite reluctantly. “Whatever happens, we still have two performances left. We should get ready for them.”

 Rose complied by walking back to the drum kit with no other words or actions of response while Tim just gave a short and simple, “Yup.”

 

* * *

 

 Brian and Rose sat down at a table in a corner. They had dropped by their usual pub after their rehearsal. There were no exact words shared between the two, but there was clearly a mutual agreement that they could definitely use some alcohol.

 “Humpy Bong,” Rose snorted. “Ridiculous.”

 Brian just raised his eyebrows briefly. He gulped down the beer from his glass. Rose drank from hers as well.

 “So what do you think?” Brian asked Rose. “What do you want to do?”

 Rose looked at him sharply.

 “What do you want to do?” She asked back.

 “I mean,” continued Brian. “We could look for a lead vocal.”

 “Weren’t we going to do that?” Rose asked.

 Then another silence followed. Brian sighed. It was like going through the formation of Smile all over again.

 “Do you think we should go on?” asked Brian in a blank tone.

 Rose frowned at him. “What the fuck are you saying?”

 “I mean, do you want to keep going?” Brian said, looking directly at Rose this time. “Do you… do you think we can actually get somewhere with this?”

 Rose immediately opened her mouth for an automatic rebuttal but closed it again without actually providing any words. She took another sip of her beer.

 “Well, why wouldn’t we?” She asked. “You’ve got skills. I’ve got skills. Hell, we even recorded an album. Who’s to say we can’t make it?”

 Brian bit his lip.

 “Maybe… Just maybe,” he slowly began. “You should start looking for somewhere to join.”

 Rose looked at him as if he was going mad.

 “You’re great with drums,” said Brian. “I’m sure you could find some good bands that can use your talent.”

 “Wow,” Rose shot at him sarcastically. “I didn’t know you wanted to get rid of me that badly.”

 Brian sighed.

 “It's not that," he said. "I mean, if you want to continue doing music, then maybe it would be much better for you to --”

 “Well, if this is where the broken up bands wallow in misery, I surely need to join the club.”

 Rose and Brian simultaneously turned their heads toward a new but very familiar voice. Even before they could react, Freddie dropped on the seat next to Rose, putting down his bottle of beer on the table in front of him.

 “Where the fuck did you come from?” Rose asked, watching him.

 “Tim told me that you lots were going for a drink,” answered Freddie. “Thought I might join you.”

 He then looked at both of their faces.

 “Oh, Come on. Don't tell me that you're thinking of splitting up completely just because Tim left,” Freddie said exaggeratedly as always. “He's one. You're two. You can rebuild your band.”

 “Yeah, we can,” Rose repeated those words sternly as she looked straight at Brian's face.

 “Seriously, though,” added Freddie, his voice sounding grounded and serious for a change. “As a fan of Smile, I don't want to see you guys just disappear. You two have great potentials.”

 “Yeah, I mean, you can sing, too,” Rose offered to Brian, rather jokingly. “Do you wanna duet?”

 Just as Brian was about to give his own rather snarky remark, Freddie chimed in.

 “I thought the vocal position was open? Do I not get a chance?”

 Rose raised an eyebrow at him.

 “What, are you really thinking of joining us?” She asked. Brian also had the same question written on his face.

 Freddie shrugged his shoulders.

 “Yeah, well, my band is about to break up,” he said. “So I thought maybe I could talk your ears off  -- yes, again -- about how irresponsible and idiotic they are, and here I find you two about to drown yourselves into stupor pathetically.”

 “I wasn't going to,” Rose said defiantly. “And I don't want to just let this go like this.”

 She looked at Brian, almost threateningly. Freddie also looked at him quite pushingly. He simply shrugged.

 “I mean, if you're sure…” he said as he looked from Rose to Freddie. “I can give it a go.”

 With it, the three of them looked at each other in an awkward silence.

 “Okay, then,” Freddie said cheerfully. He raised his bottle. “We are all in this together, I suppose?”

 Rose also raised her glass as Brian did the same, quite awkwardly that it almost seemed like he was reluctant.

 

* * *

 

 “So, this is our first official meeting as a band together,” Freddie began, ever so dramatically.

 Rose rolled her eyes. She and Brian just sat on the sofa in the living room of the boys’ flat while Freddie stood facing them.

 “Well, first things first,” Brian said. “We need to find a bass player.”

 “Don't be ridiculous, darling,” Freddie said, waving his hand in dismissal. “We need to come up with a new name first.”

 “So we’re throwing away ‘Smile’, then?” Rose snorted.

 “Of course, dear,” Freddie answered as if it was the most sensible and obvious thing. “Don’t tell me you want to keep it?”

 Rose just shrugged, while Brian said, “Not necessarily.”

 “I just thought you wanted to continue Smile,” said Rose.

 “That was such a bland name,” Freddie huffed. “I wanted you two to keep going with music and not to break up completely, that’s all. I mean, I didn’t want to berate it in front of Tim himself, but really, we need a better name than ‘Smile’.”

 “Well?” Rose said, looking at Freddie and Brian in turn. And she very well noticed the highly eager eyes Freddie was giving them that she was almost scared as she said, “Any ideas?”

 “Actually, I've been thinking about it a little,” Freddie said, emanating energy that one would often find in an excited puppy.

 “And by ‘little’, you mean ‘a lot’,” Brian remarked.

 “Oh, boy,” Rose sighed mockingly. “This can't be good.”

 “Excuse you,” said Freddie, in a more or less casual tone. He then wasted no time to add, “From now on, we shall be…”

 There was a pause, clearly an attempt to draw a dramatic effect.

 “Queen!” Freddie beamed.

 Both Brian and Rose blinked their eyes simultaneously. There were about five seconds of silence and the two staring at their new bandmate. It was Rose that broke the lack of sound, while Brian raised his brow slowly.

 “Why?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this looked much more interesting in my mind. I don't know what happened to make this so boring.. :/
> 
> But the next one will be... well, what would the next one be about..? :3c  
> I'll leave it to your imaginations for now! Hopefully, I'll get the next one done very soon!
> 
> Btw, I have absolutely no intention to ridicule Humpy Bong. It's all Rose. :| (lol)
> 
> Always, thank you so much for reading, leaving comments and kudos, subscribing, bookmarking, etc. 
> 
> Wherever you are, I hope you have a very wonderful day!
> 
> Lisa :)


	5. God Save the Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from _A Night at the Opera_ (1975)
> 
> “So how many does that make, five?” Asked Danny.  
> “He was the seventh,” The girl said, bitterness bleeding through her voice.  
> “Well,” Danny said, looking back at John, who was just witnessing the two from behind him. “I may have brought the eighth one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so soooo sorry for the delay. The past few weeks were just a total mess. I was on a trip with my friends for a few days earlier this week and had to take care of all the necessary business. I'm back to my life now, so I'll be writing as much as I can and catch up with the story quickly.
> 
> So finally we come to the moment when the Queen as we know is completed. This part came out longer than I expected so I thought of cutting out some parts, but I did take a long break so... I guess this is kind of a bonus?
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)
> 
> * I edited this chapter a little since I had wrong information about John when I first wrote it. I thought he was the guitarist and not the bassist of The Opposition, so I wrote this as such. I've only fixed that part, so it's nothing major, but just so you know. Sorry for the mistake.

 

**1971**

 

 It wasn't a common occasion for Brian to lose his temper. Rose was infamous for her mood swings, especially well known for being triggered easily and affected by her emotional states a lot. Freddie was an artistic bastard with a headstrong characteristic that could make him very sensitive about even a simple button on a shirt and throw a tantrum when he wanted to.

 Brian, on the other hand, was definitely far from those things. Everyone who knew him easily connected him with characteristics such as: polite, calm, reasonable, intellectual, smart, and anything that was around those areas. Thus, those same people often seemed to forget that he too was a human being with emotions and can be furious if there was a right cause.

 One could say that the bass sound butting in with broken harmony during a song is a good reason for Brian to be annoyed.

 The guitar tunes stopped abruptly as Brian refused to move his fingers. Freddie also stopped singing with an annoyed face while Rose banged on the cymbals with energy that broke the sticks in halves. She threw them at the floor with a "Shit!"

 Bill was the last one to stop and he looked at the others with irritation written all over his face. Brian seemed to be in his best effort to suppress his emotions and find some humane way to address the issue while Freddie rubbed his forehead with his hand. So Rose took the responsibility to shout her anger out.

 "What the fuck are you doing?" She yelled at the bassist.

 "What now?" Bill asked, not even trying to hide his annoyance.

 "That wasn't what you're supposed to be playing!" said Rose.

 "Yeah, because that was much better," said Bill.

 "Better?" Rose snapped. "BETTER? THAT RUINED THE ENTIRE THING!"

 Bill threw his arms in exasperation.

 "What, are you seriously expecting me to play that dumb thing over and over?" He said. "That's fucking stupid. I can do so much than that boring thing."

 "Yes, but it ruined the balance." It was Brian that decided to answer. His tone was very calm in comparison to Rose's shouts that it made him seem like a normal person talking in any normal situation. But Rose and Freddie could very well tell that he was pissed off to the very end of his gauge just by listening that one line.

 "That tune was not working with us, and this is not a song that bass should stand out so much," said Brian.

 "And what, you just want me to stay back like I'm not even in this stupid band?" Bill said. "Is that it? Then why do you have a fucking bass in the first place?"

 Brian turned his eyes from him and let out a long sigh. He then looked at Bill once again.

 "What's your problem?" He asked. "Really. You've been so snappy and uncooperative for days. What is bothering you?"

 Bill shook his head. "What's my problem? Well, I don't know, that you want me to play this stupid bland riff over and over again, you shoot down any ideas I have, and your music sucks that you can't even afford a decent bassline. That's my problem!"

 "If your fucking 'ideas' were as good and productive as you claim to be, then there is no reason for us not to take it," said Rose. "But guess what? They suck! All you're trying to do is show yourself off and just be loud so that everybody notices you! Well, guess what? That's not how it fucking works!"

 "You shut up!" Bill shouted at her. " You don't get to say that I'm being loud, you attention-seeking bitch!"

 Rose's glance sharpened.

 "What the fuck did you just say?" She snarled.

 "Your drumming is what sucks," said Bill. "You think you're so good with that mediocre skills you got. You think you're so over the top. Well? See the truth. You're just trying to stand out, that's all!"

 Brian scowled.

 "You don't get to say anything about standing out, Burgess," he said. "She has never failed to keep her line and balance her sound. You-- you're the one that's messing up the whole song just to stand out yourself."

 "Not to mention having a very horrible sense of 'riffs'," Freddie added from the sideline.

 Bill looked from Brian to Freddie with a suspicious look on his face. His expression changed as if he was connecting the dots and coming to a certain conclusion. He then let out a loud snort.

 "So that's how it is?" He said. "That bitch has you in her hands, doesn't she? What are you, her little slaves?"

 Freddie's face slowly distorted into a disgusted frown. Brian stiffened. Rose, who had been picking up the pieces of her former drumsticks, stopped moving and glared at the bassist.

 "I should have known," Bill continued, taking his bass off of his shoulder. "'Queen'. More like 'Queen bee and her fucking morons'. What, is that shag really that much of a fuck? I can never imagine her giving anything satisfying."

 Bill's eyes scanned Rose from her head to her feet, as if to evaluate her. That was the moment when Rose's last line of patience shattered into million pieces. Rose's grip around the pieces tightened, turning her knuckles white. She slowly walked up to him and looked into his eyes.

 "So that's what this is about, is it?" She said -- or more accurately, growled. "That's why you're being so bitchy, huh?"

 Bill equally met her gaze but said nothing. Rose stood there and glared at him for a good minute. Then she gave a cold, piercing smile -- the kind of smile that let Bill know that nothing good would be coming out of it.

 And nothing good did, for sure. Rose moved so fast that Brian and Freddie only knew what happened through the yelp that erupted from Bill. He immediately crouched down, covering his most valuable part, groaning in pain. Brian winced instinctively while Freddie couldn't help frowning sympathetically as his fisted hand covered his mouth.

 "Fucking wanker," said Rose, her voice falling on the man now at her feet. She then turned around and stormed out of the room.

 There was a silence between the three men as Brian and Freddie just watched her walk out. Bill, on the other hand, was still dealing with the pain in his groin area. Brian and Freddie looked at each other before turning their attention back to the other guy. He was without a doubt a jackass and moron, but they couldn't help feeling a bit sympathetic at his pain.

 "Okay," Freddie said finally, after letting Bill have a moment to recover at least a little. "I think it is time for you to get the fuck out and get lost. And don't come back, of course."

 Bill slowly got up and packed his things. The pain was seemingly still present and he kept muttering curses. He hastily gathered his belongings before hurriedly limping toward the door through which Rose had passed. Just before opening it, he looked back at the other two.

 "Good luck finding a moron that will bear playing with you," he said. Then without waiting for any response, he was out the door.

 Both Freddie and Brian looked at the closed door.

 "Well," said Freddie. "That went well."

 Brian just snorted. He took off his guitar and placed it its case with great care as usual.

 "I suppose we're taking five, then?" Freddie said, watching him.

 Brian sighed. "I'll go find her."

 He walked out of the room, leaving Freddie to sit on a nearby chair.

 

* * *

 

 John Deacon was known for being a quiet student. He was the kind of a person that was a part of the crowd, sitting among the students in classes and was never in the center of attention. He did what he was supposed to do, what he was asked to, but that was all. He did make some friends that he occasionally hung out with, but he was also a man who could just retreat to himself without anyone else. So anyone that had any acknowledgment of him only knew him as the quiet one -- the model student.

 That was, in a way, intentional, since John did leave behind his past life as a part-time musician back at home. He was intending and expecting that he would be focusing on his studies of electronic engineering in college. He still loved music, of course, but he just truly believed that it was not the way he would be going to. That was until he came across a gig by a band named Queen.

 The gig was not particularly memorable nor impressive. Well, okay, maybe the fact that they had a girl drummer and a very noticeable lead singer was something that stood out, even to John. Other than that, however, he didn’t really remember much. For one thing, he was too distracted by his own desire to play music. Since that one night of the performance, he was looking for a band of his own to join even before he was aware of it.

 Yet, even after a few months, he was yet to find one. Maybe it was due to that John wasn’t all that desperate in that matter. As much as it would be fun to join others who would play songs and try different creative styles in music, he still had classes to take and grades to earn. And then, he also lacked the opportunities to get in touch with people, since he rarely attended any social events like parties and hangouts with friends.

 That did not mean that John didn’t enjoy some fun in the bar on a weekend night, holding to a glass of alcohol in his hand. So he had agreed to join his roommate Chris when he told him about a party at a nearby pub. After all, the semester was nearly over and John could use some break.

 Chris and John passed through the thick crowd, looking around for their friends. Danny, one of their gang of friends, recognized the two first and called out to them. Chris and John caught sight of him and walked over to where about five boys were sitting around a small table.

 “Hey!” He said. “You made it.”

 “Was there any doubt?” Chris said as he squeezed in between the guys. He made a room for John as well who managed to barely sit down.

 “Not you,” Danny said with a scoff that didn't show any offense. “You never miss anything. I was talking about that honours student over there.”

 He nodded his head toward John as he spoke. Everyone’s eyes turned toward John, who simply shrugged once.

 “First class honours in the first year?” He said. “That’s something, now, isn’t it?”

 “The funny thing is, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do much of the extra work,” Chris said. "And he even plays guitar."

 “So I’ve heard,” one of the boys -- Matthew, John remembered -- that was sitting on the other side of John said. “I heard you’re quite a good player, but I’ve never heard you play.”

 “He is really good,” Chris said. “Thought he was in a band or something at first.”

 “Yeah, um, I’m thinking of joining one,” said John.

 Right then, he didn’t really think much of it. He even forgot about the matter as he put some alcohol in his system and mingled among the crowd.

 “Oi, John!”

 John almost missed Danny’s call amongst the music and loud chatters of people. When he turned toward the direction from which his name was called, he caught sight of Danny’s hand waving at him.

 It was quite annoying and troublesome, but John managed to push through and got to the corner where Danny was standing. He had to try his best not to show the irritation on his face as he approached the other man.

 “Yes?”

 “You said you’re looking for a band to join, right?” Danny said, nearly shouting to get his voice above the chatters.

 “Yeah?” John said. He scowled as he focused his senses on making put the words.

 “My mates are in a band, and their bassist recently quit,” said Danny. “Thought you might be interested?”

 “Oh,” John said. That was certainly unexpected. “Okay…?”

 “C’mon, then,” Danny said and walked away. John tried his best to keep up.

 They didn't have to move too far until Danny came to a stop in front of a group. Most of them were females, with a blonde woman was furiously ranting to her listeners.

 “That fucking wanker!” The woman said in her high pitched voice. “He’s just crossed I didn’t get into his bed!”

 “Ooh,” Danny butted in. “Which one are we talking about now? There have been far too many that wanted to get into your pants.”

 “Bill fucking Burgess!” The girl said without turning her head.

 “Ouch,” Danny said smugly. “That must have hurt him bad. He's been telling people that you're all so into him.”

 She snorted before taking a sip out of her glass of beer. “Fucking idiot. He was so disgustingly full of himself.”

 “So how many does that make, five?” Asked Danny.

 “He was the seventh,” The girl said, bitterness bleeding through her voice.

 “Well,” Danny said, looking back at John, who was just witnessing the two from behind him. “I may have brought the eighth one.”

 That gained the girl’s attention. She turned her gaze to look at Danny and then beyond him, sparing a gaze at John.

 Danny pulled John toward him and had him directly face her.

 That was the first time John got a real look at her. She had her long blonde hair freely fall onto her shoulders and over her upper back. She was quite tall, being at least half a head taller than other girls around her, and not so smaller than John himself. Yet, she had a lean figure that somehow made her look small at the same time.

 “This is John Deacon. He’s in Chelsea College. I heard he is quite skilled at guitar and is looking for a band,” said Danny, lightly patting John’s shoulder. He then turned to John. “This is Rose Taylor, the drummer of the band Queen.”

 Queen. John remembered the one and only performance of Queen that he had seen. Rose Taylor. That was the name.

 “Guitar player, huh?” Rose said, taking a look at John with intrigued eyes. “Do you play bass, too?”

 John shrugged his shoulders.

 “I was the bassist in my band back home,” he said.

 Her eyebrows rose. She nodded her head slowly.

 “Really?” She said. “Okay. Hold on a moment.”

 John waited as Rose turned her head and looked around. She then stopped and called out to a ‘Bri’. A tall bloke with a bushy curly hair turned toward them. When Rose motioned him to come closer, he seemingly informed the person he was talking to and walked over to the two.

 Rose looked at John.

 “John, this is Brian,” she said. Then she looked at Brian. “Brian, John.”

 Brian gave a brief smile and a nod toward John, which John returned with a polite smile of his own.

 “Danny introduced him to me. He’s looking for a band” Rose said. “Apparently, he’s a bassist.”

 “Really?” Brian looked at John with eager eyes.

 “I mostly played guitar, but I’ve handled bass before,” said John.

 Brian nodded.

 “Okay,” he said more to Rose than to John. “Maybe we can have him come over to our practice.”

 He then looked back at John. “We had to let our bassist go recently. Would you… be interested in taking that position?”

 Surprisingly, the answer didn't come out of his mouth right away. Maybe it was that it all happened so sudden. Maybe it was because he wasn't quite desperately wanting to be a part of a band as he had thought he was. Maybe it was because it was a band that didn't really leave much impression on him. Whatever the reason was, no response of acceptance came out of him. Yet, there was a part of him at the back of his head that was also preventing himself from declining.

 So he said, “I could try.”

 Brian smiled.

 “Great,” he said. “We’re practicing next Tuesday at seven in an auditorium in Polytechnic. Can you come down there?”

 

* * *

 

 The door of the auditorium creaked open slowly that it almost seemed to be hesitating itself. A moment later, it opened more to reveal a lean figure carrying what seemed to be a guitar case and an amplifier in each hand. He walked passed the aisle of seats and toward the stage, on which the three members of Queen were standing and looking at the new person eagerly.

 John walked up to the stage.

 “You’re very punctual,” said Rose as she watched him walk up to a corner and put his things down.

 John didn’t really know what to respond, so he just shrugged his shoulders and looked at the band.

 “So, John Deacon, right?” Said Brian.

 “Yeah,” said John.

 “Uhm, this is Freddie. Freddie, John,” Brian said, looking from John to Freddie.

 “Freddie Bulsara,” said Freddie with a smile. “So are you to be our next bassist?”

 “Um,” said John, massaging the back of his neck with one hand. “I don’t know. Am I?”

 Freddie shrugged. “We’ll see.”

 Brian pulled out a piece of paper from his bag and handed it to John.

 “These are the chords for the songs we’re going to practice today,” he said.

 “Okay,” John answered as he took it and looked at it.

 “I know you probably never heard the song before, so don’t worry too much about being perfect. Just join in where you can.” Brian said.

 “Okay,” said John.

 “We’re starting in five,” Rose said from behind the drum kit on one side of the stage. Both Brian and John went to get their instruments ready.

 John opened the case and pulled out the bass guitar he had borrowed through one of his friends. He brought it along with his amplifier to the center part of the stage and placed himself in the back next to the drums. After plugging in the guitar, he tested the tunes. When he was done, he settled into the most comfortable position and scanned the note once again.

 “Okay, we’re doing ‘Son and Daughter’ first,” Brian said. “Everyone ready?”

 John nodded as his eyes looked through the page and found the title. Brian shared a glance with Rose. Freddie also looked at both of them. When the three of them were done with reading one another’s signals, the song began.

 A synchronized guitar stroke with a bang on the cymbals opened the song. Then an explosive vocal harmony from the three followed. The two alternated a couple of times before the instrumental opening part began. John read the chords on the paper as he focused his ears on the song. His fingers moved mid-air as he simulated the sound of the bassline with what was being played. The basic tune was repetitive, which made it easier for him to grasp the pattern.

 So he decided to slowly join in by the end of the first verse. There were a few notes he missed, but he quickly stabilized his playing as he gradually added more notes. He let the beat and tunes flow through his body and felt the song, calculating which notes should come next. It didn’t need an effort from him, considering that he had his experience with his bands before. He wasn’t the bass player then, but it didn’t matter; no matter what instrument one played, the most crucial point was to make everything balance out to come together as one song.

 When the song finished, John looked up to find the others looking at him. He looked back at them, baffled.

 “That was… impressive,” Brian said, a look of satisfaction on his face.

 John raised his eyebrows. He did follow the song quite well, but it was far from any word such as ‘impressive’ since he didn’t really use any real techniques or creative tunes. Were the other bassists they had before that terrible?

 “I don’t know if I could call that ‘impressive’,” he said.

 “Dear, you managed to do exactly what you’re supposed to do,” said Freddie. “Quietly, I might add.”

 “Well, yeah,” said John. “The guitar and drums are already strong, there’s no need for stronger bass.”

 “So you mean, keeping the balance?” Brian said.

 John looked at him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Freddie, Brian, and Rose all looked at one another. They did not say a word, but there were excitement and joy in their eyes.

 “You wouldn’t know how much I just want to hug you right now,” Rose said. John frowned at her in confusion.

 “Finally!” Freddie exclaimed, quite dramatically, John might add. “Finally someone who knows!”

 John looked around from one member to another.

 “Okay, so am I in or what?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So finally... Finally! John comes into the picture! Only now do I really feel like I've finished the prologue and am now getting into the real story. LOL
> 
> The former bassist Bill Burgess is just a made up character for the sake of the story (kinda like Ray Foster in _Bohemian Rhapsody_ I guess). I needed him to be a real douche and couldn't really use the real person for that.
> 
> Always, thank you so much for reading and leaving comments, kudos, and all the support you give me! They really mean a lot and keep me going. <3
> 
> Hope you all have a great day!
> 
> Lisa :)

**Author's Note:**

> This story will progress into Maylor (Brian/Rose) relationship. Thank you for all those who gave me suggestions on the pairing. <3 But I also decided to write an alternate version of this with Dealor (John/Rose), so if you're interested, you can go and check that one out, too! (It's called _[The March of the Red Queen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17361074)_.)
> 
> You can always find me through Tumblr ([lisasinarae.tumblr.com](https://lisasinarae.tumblr.com)) or Twitter ([@sinarae_eng](https://twitter.com/sinarae_eng)) 
> 
> If you want to talk to me about Queen, or just reach out to me, you're always welcome! I also might take prompts regarding Rose fictions, so if you have any, you can talk to me about that, too.
> 
> Keep yourselves alive, people, and hope you have a great day, wherever you are! 
> 
> Lisa :)


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